🚑 Emergency & First Aid in Venice

In case of emergency, call 112.
This is the European emergency number and works everywhere in Venice.
However, if the situation isn’t life-threatening, you can go directly to the hospital listed below.
In addition, pharmacies can assist with minor medical issues such as fever, allergies, or small injuries.
For example, some pharmacies stay open at night or during weekends.
Finally, save this page on your phone before you leave the hotel — it works even without internet.

Emergency Venice: quick first aid guide for tourists in Venice — hospitals, pharmacies, and emergency numbers.

☎️ Emergency Numbers (Italy)

Service Number Use for

112 Unified emergency number Police + Ambulance + Firefighters
113 Police Theft, lost passport, security issues
115 Fire Brigade Fires, boat accidents
118 Medical emergency Ambulance / First Aid

You can call 112 even without SIM card or phone credit.
Operators speak Italian + English

🏥 Emergency Rooms (Pronto Soccorso)

*Water ambulance moored along a Venetian canal — emergency medical services in Venice operate entirely through the lagoon network.*

🟦 Main hospital in Venice (historic center) — 24/7

⚕️ Ospedale SS. Giovanni e Paolo

*The Renaissance façade of the Scuola Grande di San Marco, today the entrance of Venice’s main hospital, beside the Basilica of SS. Giovanni e Paolo.*

Vaporetto stop: Ospedale

Emergency Room entrance signed from the vaporetto pier.

*Emergency entrance of Venice’s main hospital, Ospedale Civile SS. Giovanni e Paolo, on the vaporetto stop side, in the Castello district.*

🏨 If you are staying in Mestre (mainland)

⚕️ Ospedale dell’Angelo (Mestre)

The largest and most modern hospital in the Venice area.

Bus / tram from Venice → 20 min

🏥 First Aid Points (not full ER)

Location Service Notes

Piazza San Marco Tourist First Aid Point During high season (spring → autumn)
Lido di Venezia First Aid Medical Center Useful for minor injuries / sun-related problems

See our guide on 🚤 How to Get Around Venice for vaporetto stops near hospitals.

💊 Pharmacies (Important!)

Many pharmacies in Venice close for lunch.

⏰ Typical schedule:
09:00 – 12:30 / 15:30 – 19:30

Not like USA / UK drugstores.

Night / holiday service (rota system):
Search on Google: “Farmacia di turno Venezia”

https://www.ordinefarmacistivenezia.it/farmacie-di-turno.html

🟢 Local tip:

Pharmacies around Rialto and San Marco stay open longer during peak months.

🚓 Police & Carabinieri (Lost passport / theft report)

Even though Venice is car-free, the historic centre is fully covered by Police (Polizia di Stato) and Carabinieri.
If you need to report a theft, lost passport or documents, these are the most useful offices.

👮‍♂️ Polizia di Stato (Police)

*Venice police patrol near a bridge in Castello — emergency services are present and reachable throughout the city.*

✅ For lost passports, thefts, security issues.

Questura di Venezia (Police Headquarters)
Sestiere Santa Croce, 500 — near Piazzale Roma
Main police office of Venice.

Commissariato San Lorenzo
Fondamenta S. Lorenzo 5053 — between San Marco and Arsenale
Closest to St. Mark’s Square (San Marco area).

Police Office — Lido
Lido di Venezia
Covers hotels and beach area.

*The Venice Police Headquarters (Questura), operating from a historic palazzo on the canal near San Lorenzo.*

🛡️ Carabinieri

Another national law enforcement (like Gendarmerie / Military Police).

Carabinieri – San Zaccaria (24/7) Campo San Zaccaria 4693/A — 3 minutes from St. Mark’s Square

Sant’Elena
Viale IV Novembre

Murano
Murano island
✅ Murano has Carabinieri, but no Police station.

Lido
Lido di Venezia
Lido has both Police and Carabinieri.

🟡 Polizia Locale — Urban Presence & Crowd Management

*Venice local police officers wearing high-visibility uniforms during crowd monitoring in a St. Mark’s square.*

In addition to the Polizia di Stato and Carabinieri, Venice also relies on the Polizia Locale (Municipal Police).
Their role is primarily urban: managing pedestrian flows, supervising public events, enforcing local regulations, and assisting visitors in crowded areas.
In a city where streets are narrow and large gatherings often take place in historic squares, visibility is essential.
The high-visibility yellow and dark uniforms are designed to make officers immediately identifiable in dense crowds.
This allows them to:

respond quickly to incidents
regulate pedestrian traffic during peak tourist periods
assist during public events and festivals
coordinate with emergency services when needed

In Venice, crowd management is not secondary — it is part of the city’s daily safety system.

🚢 Water / Lagoon Emergency

Useful in case of:

boat accidents or collisions
engine failure at sea
medical emergencies on board
people overboard
dangerous weather conditions
navigation emergencies in the lagoon or open sea

The Coast Guard operates throughout the Venetian lagoon and the Adriatic Sea.
Call 1530 only for emergencies involving boats or maritime situations.

💡 Extra Useful Tips (from a local)

Pharmacies don’t sell everything like US/UK drugstores.

In the lagoon, internet can be unstable — take screenshots.

In Venice Google Maps can be inaccurate due to narrow alleys.

✨ Save this page before leaving your hotel — it may be very useful. No internet? No problem.

Disclaimer:
Information on this page is provided for general guidance only.
Emergency procedures and contacts may change.
In urgent situations always call official emergency services directly.

To understand how Venice works in everyday life → Real Life in Venice

Continue exploring Venice:

🌊 Venetian Islands – Discover the Lagoon Beyond Venice

🍂 How Venice’s Streets Work: Calle, Campi, Fondamente & Local Names

⭐ THE DOGE OF VENICE

🍽️ Traditional Venetian Food Guide: What to Eat in Venice (Local Insights)